PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN Prepared by: O’Neill and Associates June 2019 GO SLOW IN CAMBRIDGE. LIFE ISN’T A RACE. 31 NEW CHARDON STREET BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02114 (617) 646-1000 Table of Contents I. Vision Zero Strategic Communications Goals II. Key Messages III. Vision Zero Tactical Toolbox IV. Evaluation of Public Education Initiative V. Media Partnership Recommendations VI. Community Organizations VII. Design Examples VIII. Appendix – MBTA Specs VISION ZERO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN JUNE 2019 Vision Zero Strategic Communications Goals Working with Vision Zero and City of Cambridge staff, we have identified a number of strategic communications goals for the Vision Zero initiative as it relates to the public education component of the action plan. A comprehensive and successful public relations strategy will only be achieved by knowing the objectives that the organization wishes to attain. As such, below we have outlined the recommendations for Vision Zero’s strategic communications goals based on our discussion: 1. Develop an easy-to-understand but relevant message for those living in Cambridge and those who drive through it regarding the need for slower, safer driving. 2. Communicate that Cambridge wants to see ZERO car crashes that result in fatalities or serious bodily harm for those walking and biking in Cambridge. The audience is all who use Cambridge streets, including but not limited to drivers, with the recognition that those who will benefit will most likely be pedestrians and bicyclists. 3. Deliver a toolbox of baseline ideas, as well as creative ones, to deliver this message. 4. Develop a set of recommended media partners to approach or to deliver an ad campaign 5. Develop a set of community organizations to inform about and partner with on the Vision Zero campaign. 6. Create design recommendations for a cohesive Vision Zero Cambridge brand. 2 VISION ZERO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN JUNE 2019 Key Messages If you travel in and through Cambridge, you will likely get where you’re going safely. Our streets are safe - but we can make them even more safe for everyone. The good news for anyone driving in and through the City of Cambridge is that you are likely to get where you’re going safely and not suffer any injury. Over the past decade, no one has been killed while riding in a car on a Cambridge-owned street. Very few people have been killed in crashes while walking or biking. Even a few fatalities are a few too many. Cambridge is committed to implementing strategies that will lead to zero fatalities and serious injuries for everyone who uses our streets. Speed – especially the speed of a vehicle that weighs so much more than any person - is the core issue. The slower that drivers in Cambridge go, the fewer crashes we will see that will injure or kill pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers and their passengers – until we get to zero. Speed kills – or harms people severely. The slower that drivers go, the less likely they are to crash into another car, a person walking down the street or someone on a bicycle. To achieve the vision of zero fatalities or crashes that result in severe injury, we need those who drive through Cambridge to slow down. Cambridge is doing its part to encourage slower driving – by reducing speed limits and designing streets that help people self-enforce their speeds. But everyone has a role to play. Drivers must be responsible for their vehicles. And we must empower pedestrians, bicyclists and others to be safe. The City of Cambridge recognizes that there are strategies that we can employ to encourage slower driving. And we’re taking steps. We are reducing speed limits, which has been shown to be effective in other Vision Zero cities, in our city squares and on primarily local-access streets. And we are redesigning our streets to encourage slower and safer driving. But drivers themselves are responsible for driving more slowly and acting in other ways that will keep members of the community safe. This public education campaign is designed to remind drivers that a few extra minutes of their time is worth keeping people safe. And we are committed to empowering bicyclists, pedestrians and others to be safe when they are on Cambridge roads. 3 VISION ZERO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN JUNE 2019 In addition, we recognize that Cambridge is home to a diverse community, but our streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks also provide reliable transportation to the residents in many surrounding communities. We want to ensure that regardless of what mode or modes of transportation you take to or through Cambridge that your safety is prioritized. We want to make sure that we all get where we are going, without sacrificing the life or living condition of any resident or commuter, including your own. Risky driving IS a national crisis. The good news is that Cambridge’s roads and streets are safe. But we believe we need to do as much as possible to achieve the goal of zero fatalities and crashes that result in serious harm. According to the National Safety Council, in 2017, more than 40,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes in the United States. In contrast, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network, in 2017, less than 100 people were killed in commercial airline crashes around the world. We know that there are differences – far fewer people are licensed to fly than are licensed to drive. But this is still clearly a crisis that we need to address community by community. The statistics show that by and large, Cambridge’s roads are safe. But the data also show that when people walk or bike in Cambridge they are more vulnerable than when they drive, both in terms of risk of death and bodily harm. Years ago, the airline industry in the U.S. committed to implementing policies that would lead to zero crashes. It’s time to see a similar commitment from communities, drivers, and others when it comes to car crashes that result in serious or fatal injuries. Cambridge is making that commitment. Cambridge is committed to working with vulnerable populations to ensure that they are empowered. It’s the only way to ensure safer streets for everyone who lives, studies, works, and plays in Cambridge. The City of Cambridge is a vibrant, diverse city that welcomes people from all over the world to live, work, study and enjoy time here. With this public education campaign, we are committed to working with the population of individuals who are most vulnerable when using our roads and streets to help empower them. And we are also committed to educating the many people who drive through our City on ways that they can help to keep their neighbors, coworkers, friends, and other members of the community safe. Recommended Taglines: • “Go Slow in Cambridge. Life Isn’t A Race.” 4 VISION ZERO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN JUNE 2019 • “You’ll Still Get There: Saving a Few Minutes Isn’t Worth Hurting Someone” • “Life Isn’t A Race – Slow Down, You’ll Still Get There” • “Life Isn’t A Race: It’s Worth Saving a Few Minutes to Prevent Crashes” • “Take A Few Extra Minutes. You’ll Still Get There” 5 VISION ZERO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN JUNE 2019 Vision Zero Tactical Toolbox Introduction As you implement the Vision Zero initiative, we want to make sure that you have a solid toolbox of options – both time-tested and creative – to spread the word about Vision Zero, elevate the Vision Zero brand so that it is immediately recognizable to those living, visiting, and working in Cambridge and give supporters ways to engage. Signage, leave- behinds, guerrilla marketing tactics, and partnerships in the community will be critical to promote the Vision Zero initiative and educate the public about it. As such, below are our recommendations for basic tactics that you must employ along with guerilla actions and promotional material that you should consider. Goal: Provide suggestions that will advance the message of systems change and are meaningful to the various Vision Zero audiences, and propose some high-visibility actions that will generate excitement and engagement. The below is broken down into 5 sections: • Key tagline and information that must be on all Vision Zero material • Phase I: Basic recommended tools for organizing and public information that Vision Zero should implement • Phase II: Additional effective ideas to implement once Phase I is completed • Phase III: Higher-engagement ideas for attention-grabbing tactics • Phase IV: A “big idea” proposal that we think will make a big splash while also being educational and informative. Additionally, we have provided an estimate of hours that will be needed to complete each project and the recommended steps for completion. The suggested hours here are based on the estimated times it takes O’Neill and Associates to complete these projects. As a municipality, there may be additional review time needed – with limited resources and review time, you may want to triple each suggested time estimate. Key Tagline and Information for All Vision Zero Materials In the messaging section, we have a set of key messages and tagline recommendations that we recommend you use. We recommend that the following be on ALL Vision Zero- related materials, including swag material: • Go Slow in Cambridge. Life Isn’t A Race. Additionally, all Vision Zero materials should include the following: 6 VISION ZERO CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC INFORMATION PLAN JUNE 2019 • Cambridge’s Vision Zero logo • A link to the City’s website focused on Vision Zero – cambridgema.gov/visionzero • Although Cambridge does not currently have social media platforms dedicated to its Vision Zero initiative, if and when it does, the material should include information on those social media accounts.